Thanks to thanks to Sarah Tongue, Carole Howell’s daughter, for sharing this photo of, and invitation to, Sue Farley’s retirement party in 1988.
Beryl Thompson (left), Myles Lang (centre), Barbara Wrigley (right in black patterned dress), Margaret Barton (right).
Sue Farley was PA on the Farming programme, as well as in the Asian Programmes Unit and John King’s unit.
John Rees on Pickwick Papers. Photograph by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission
Pickwick Papers, Phil Hawkins, Frank Manning, Kevin Priestly, John Rees, photo by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission
Thanks to Albert Sheard for sharing these photos from the 1985 adaptation of Dickens’s Pickwick Papers. The location was in Ludlow, Shropshire. Here is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:
Synopsis:
by Charles Dickens dramatised in 12 episodes by Jack Davies
starring Nigel Stock as Mr Pickwick with Clive Swift as Mr Tupman, Jeremy Nicholas as Mr Winkle, Alan Parnaby as Mr Snodgrass and Colin Douglas as Mr Wardle, Patrick Malahide as Mr Jingle
Charles Dickens was still only 24 when, in his own words, “I thought of Mr Pickwick…”
The Pickwick Papers soon became a national craze. Mr Pickwick, his friends Tupman, Winkle and Snodgrass, and his cockney servant the immortal Sam Weller, have been among the most popular characters in fiction ever since.
This week they begin their travels through the England of stage-coaches and coaching inns – in a new version of Dickens’s first and most-loved bestseller.
(Nigel Stock visits “Pebble Mill at One” tomorrow)
Contributors
Author: Charles Dickens
Dramatised by: Jack Davies
Music composed and conducted by: Carl Davis
Lighting Director: Bob Chaplin
Script Editor: Terrance Dicks
Designer: Myles Lang
Producer: Barry Letts
Director: Brian Lighthill
Narrator: Ray Brooks
Mr Pickwick: Nigel Stock
Mr Tupman: Clive Swift
Mr Winkle: Jeremy Nicholas
Mr Snodgrass: Alan Parnaby
Sam Weller: Phil Daniels
Mr Wardle: Colin Douglas
Mr Jingle: Patrick Malahide
Mrs Bardell: Jo Kendall
Cab driver: Barry Linehan
Waiter (Bull Inn): Russell Denton
Doorman: Michael Godley
Mrs Budger: Mary Maxted
Dr Slammer: Gerald James
Lt Tappleton: John Patrick
Boots: Peter Richards
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Another Second City First has recently been recovered from director Pedr James – Thwum 1975, featuring Pete Postlewaite in his first screen appearance. It is being shown as part of Missing Believed Wiped at the BFI Southbank on 16th December 2017.
Thanks to Lez Cooke for letting me know about the find and the event.
Here is the Radio Times entry for Thwum:
‘A series of new plays from Birmingham
Thwum by MIKE STOTT
‘ In 14 minutes, 20 seconds we are going to be privileged to contact living creatures from another world, another galaxy even …’
Designer MYLES LANG Producer TARA PREM Director PEDR JAMES
Contributors
Unknown: Mike Stott
Designer: Myles Lang
Producer: Tara Prem
Director: Pedr James
Joy: Rosalind Elliot
Duffy: Peter Postlethwaite
Bernard: Paul Moriarty’
Behind the Scenes; A Sort of Innocence from pebblemill on Vimeo.
Video copyright, James French, no reproduction without permission.
James French has provided the following information about this behind the scenes footage which he recorded on location for A Sort of Innocence, known as ‘The Hereford Project’ at the time. The first sequence is by the river in Hereford and the other involves a low-loader being rigged at Chateau Impney in Droitwich Spa:
This was a two camera shoot using CM2 and I (James French) was second camera, Keith Salmon camera supervisor. The cameras were Philips LDK 514s with Angenieux lenses for the techie-types.
The Director was John Gorrie. You hear him but don’t see him in the first sequence. The 1st AD is Peter Rose, who went on to direct several soaps including Crossroads, Eastenders and Coronation Street. Main actor: Kenneth Cranham. Boy: Neil Jeffery, LD: Barry Chatfield, Sparks: Dave Walter, Sound: Tony Wass, Tim Everett.
It was 1986.
The grip’s name was Ron Fleet, and I think the cable basher is rigger, Barry but can’t remember his surname.
behind the scenes on A Sort of Innocence
EM: Dave Robinson, Spark: Roger Hynes (can’t remember the other guy), Director: John Gorrie seen sitting on the kerb in the early panning shot, Engineer: Peter Eggleston, Vision Mixer: Roger Sutton, Rigger: George Stephenson, Editor: Mike Bloore.
Here is the Radio Times entry from the first episode courtesy of the BBC Genome project:
A six-part serial by ALICK ROWE Episode 1 starring
Kenneth Cranham Cheryl Campbell Michael Byrne
Introducing Neil Jeffery Elizabeth Fellowes seems well suited to life in a small cathedral town. Her husband, Mark, teaches at the cathedral school where her son, Tim, is a chorister. Unknown to the family, boardroom battles are taking place elsewhere. These are to have a dramatic effect on their future lives together.
Music composed by RICHARD HARVEY Script editor JENNY SHERIDAN Designers
MYLES LANG. AMANDA ATKINSON Producer RUTH BOSWELL Director JOHN GORRIE
genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/56046536e8054c6fb2167b2d10c5920f
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Diana Lester: ‘Thanks James, I cannot believe that was over 30 years ago. …lovely to see faces from the past, many who unfortunately are no longer with us ….and we all look so young !!’
Karen Lamb: ‘Hearing Keith’s voice again was so special saying “don’t point it at the sun” such wonderful memories working on crew 5.’
Dawn/Kevin Hudson: ‘Great memories,the grip was Ronnie Fleet, and the fella brushing the path was affectionately known as Gonzo.’
Richard Stevenson: ‘Great clip. Is Tim booming wearing a tie?! Those were the days.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Thanks to Les Podraza for making the cast and crew photo available.
(This iPlayer link is to an item by South Today about the making of Howards’ Way)
The end of 1st September 2015 marked the 30 years anniversary of Howards’ Way, the sailing drama series, which was likened to a British version of the US drama Dallas.
The series was hosted at Pebble Mill, and recorded on location in Southampton, with some of the interiors being recorded in Studio A.
Here is the Radio Times synopsis for the first episode, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:
“A serial in 13 parts devised by GERARD GLAISTER and ALLAN PRIOR
Episode 1 written by JILL HYEM
‘I’m sorry, Jan … It may be selfish, but I intend to spend the rest of my working life doing something I want to do.’
Title music
SIMON MAY and LESLIE OSBORNE Film cameraman JOHN KENWAY Designer MYLES LANG
Script editor JOHN BRASON Director PENNANT ROBERTS Producer GERARD GLAISTER”
http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/14bd8b49c7524441b9e9a278e19e74d7
Thanks to Paul Burton for pointing out the anniversary, and the South Today piece.
The following comments were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Dawn Trotman: ‘I think it is John Kenway yet it was John Willey who shot the first and second series.. I edited the first series with Nigel Pardoe-Matthews and the second on location with Sharon Pemberton and Lynne Hawkins..great fun.. We always knew it would be successful..It was our Dallas..’
Maggie Humphries: ‘Not John Kenway,, it’s Jimmy Monks, Grips who worked on the series.’
Lesley Weaver: ‘Maggie Humphries is right, it is the lovely freelance grip Jimmy Monks near left of camera and far right is David Evans a lovely freelance Camera operator. Can’t really work out who’s behind camera. I worked on the second series so I ought to remember. In the clip I remember Tony ‘O’ sparks from Lee North and Susie Peck is the designer talking about the costumes, lots of others I remember too.’